the anger of God

[anti_nietzsche]

The Old Testament frequently says that God was angry about this or that matter.

But I think I can only live with God when He is not angry, or at least when His anger, like other scriptures say, lasts for but a moment.

This has to do with my need for worshipping God, and somehow I can't worship God in any meaningful sense if I have to think of Him as being angry.

I had a strange experience some years ago when I had a vision and a friendly voice said, I am not an angry God.

But then, the bible does speak of God being angry at least sometimes.

I must admit that I don't like reading many parts of the bible anymore. It gets me into thoughts like, can the real God not be a bit above anger and wrath and all that? Isn't it that what we admire in God, perfection?

And then, Jesus said that anger is like murder. That anger is a sin. We believe that Jesus is sinless, so in order for that to be possible, Jesus can't be angry.

Then we believe that Jesus is God. So for God to be angry, while Jesus cannot be angry, we have to believe that the Father is angry while Jesus is meek. Which is a bit of a silly idea, I think. That God is full of rage while Jesus always has to calm Him down, and if Jesus does that for you, that's salvation. That makes no sense at all and even seems pretty ridiculous.

I really want to revere God and apart from such things I have no problem with the christian message. I know we all have sinned. I know we don't really deserve eternal life, at least not in the magnitude the bible uses. Eternal life under and with God, that's quite something. I also appreciate Jesus' sacrifice.

But that anger thing really disturbs me. I don't want to be wary of it all the time. It feels like poison.

How do you resolve this issue?

[redhotmagma]

Ephesians 4:26  Be angry and do not sin;  do not let the sun go down on the cause of your anger.

it seems there is a way to be angry and not sin.  Does judgement always indicate a sin?  I think we automatically assume judgement means punishment.

NET Matt 5:22
But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother   will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults  a brother will be brought before  the council,   and whoever says 'Fool'   will be sent  to fiery hell.

NKJV
"But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.

it seems to have without a cause in there is in dispute, it is found in a lot of MSS

As far as God being angry and not sinning, God is the mark, sinning means to miss the mark, therefore God cannot sin.

I also feel like you do about reading of Gods anger, or wrath, I don't want to, but its in there so its got use :winkgrin:  I go to my favorite passage

Zephaniah 3:8,9  NET


3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently 28  for me," says the Lord,
"for the day when I attack and take plunder. 29
I have decided 30  to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
For 31  the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
3:9 Know for sure that I will then enable
the nations to give me acceptable praise. 32
All of them will invoke the Lord's name when they pray, 33
and will worship him in unison.

[For Real]

I'm bumping up this old post in hopes that someone has clarity regarding this topic.  I can't wrap my finger around it. 

[Ross]

Looking at the things that people were doing in the old testament points out they were particularly evil. Sacrificing their kids, stealing, worshipping other gods; would make me pretty angry.
One thing to be angry, then how that anger is expressed is another.
Anger at the event, or action, would seem to be there because of the harm being done, usually because of the wrong desires/values that have instigated the problem in the first place.
To correct that wrong doing would be like the carrying out of justice. The wages of sin is death, so those people corrected were literally killed as examples to others of what not to be doing. Paul points out that if this life was all there is to life then we should be pitied most of all. However, this is done/handled towards the flesh,  so that we learn right from wrong. Bigger correction of rituals, values, selfish actions, lusts is to the point of death to self.
Having had kids I can identify with this concept; being angry at the kids for what they have done, but never considering to throw them away. Correcting more serious problems with heavier penalties, but even then making sure they knew what they had done wrong was part of the correction. Ergo disciplining them, correcting them.

[darryl]

I'm bumping up this old post in hopes that someone has clarity regarding this topic.  I can't wrap my finger around it.

anger is an unfortunate word with negative connotations..maybe the English transliteration is misleading/ wrong.

[Lazarus Short]

Does it not say somewhere in the Bible that God will not always be angry?

[eaglesway]

I really dont find it troubling at all. Anger is a legitimate response to certain kinds of wickedness. God gets angry at times. His forgiveness, His mercy, His wisdom- will overcome wickedness, and thus His anger will pass away, but for now, there are things that deserve an angry response, and they will get an angry response, if for no other reason- to get a person's attention.

[Dandelion]

Hebrews 10:26-31

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

God still loves us, and is always a merciful God, but He is also just. I took a course called Boundaries.....actually took it 3 times......but it was a Christian perspective, based on a book by McCloud and Townsend. It talks about how we really cannot function and have good relationships with others, unless we have boundaries put into place. As a Special Education teacher, I learned the value of boundaries, too. When the children I work with cannot focus and are running all about....I work a lot with little ones......they are not able to learn and they stay in their own chaos. When I teach them procedure and, as I say, 'to climb over the hill' of frustration and difficulty learning, the world opens up to them. They begin to talk and complete tasks; learn to play and interact with others. They are freed to be the best they can be. However, in accomplishing that, the children often cry, get frustrated, and so on. I have to work past that, with them and their families. It is not easy for the children, or often for their parents to watch. Often their parents want to give them whatever they cry for, but if they do, the child still does not speak or function in a pattern of communication and rational thinking.

I look at it that way with God. A boundary is really love, too. It helps us to be the best we can be, without the baggage of chaos, confusion, randomness, lack of goals or clear accomplishments, and so on.  When we refuse to accept God as our creator and provider, our whole world becomes chaos, too. The pivotal center is gone and we grab whatever we can, as my little ones do, only on a different scale. We are unreasonable, out of control, and never satisfied. We do not use our ability to get over our own frustration to see the bigger picture.

God's anger is a way of telling us, you have way overstepped your boundaries, and need to get focused or your life will be chaos.

So, it is just a form of His love for us, if we see it that way.

My  :2c:

D.

[darryl]

Hebrews 10:26-31

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

God still loves us, and is always a merciful God, but He is also just. I took a course called Boundaries.....actually took it 3 times......but it was a Christian perspective, based on a book by McCloud and Townsend. It talks about how we really cannot function and have good relationships with others, unless we have boundaries put into place. As a Special Education teacher, I learned the value of boundaries, too. When the children I work with cannot focus and are running all about....I work a lot with little ones......they are not able to learn and they stay in their own chaos. When I teach them procedure and, as I say, 'to climb over the hill' of frustration and difficulty learning, the world opens up to them. They begin to talk and complete tasks; learn to play and interact with others. They are freed to be the best they can be. However, in accomplishing that, the children often cry, get frustrated, and so on. I have to work past that, with them and their families. It is not easy for the children, or often for their parents to watch. Often their parents want to give them whatever they cry for, but if they do, the child still does not speak or function in a pattern of communication and rational thinking.

I look at it that way with God. A boundary is really love, too. It helps us to be the best we can be, without the baggage of chaos, confusion, randomness, lack of goals or clear accomplishments, and so on.  When we refuse to accept God as our creator and provider, our whole world becomes chaos, too. The pivotal center is gone and we grab whatever we can, as my little ones do, only on a different scale. We are unreasonable, out of control, and never satisfied. We do not use our ability to get over our own frustration to see the bigger picture.

God's anger is a way of telling us, you have way overstepped your boundaries, and need to get focused or your life will be chaos.

So, it is just a form of His love for us, if we see it that way.

My  :2c:

D.

I dont like to think of God being 'angry' at all...after all, God created all this..He foreknew Humans would fall..forknew our weaknesses..our proclivity to sin and rebel..yet He still went thru with it all..still created us..still set the wheels in motion...yet, gets 'enraged' when we sin and fall ?..noooo, something does not add up here..Gods 'anger' must be different.

[darryl]

I must admit that I don't like reading many parts of the bible anymore.

But that anger thing really disturbs me. I don't want to be wary of it all the time. It feels like poison.

How do you resolve this issue?

read the positive parts..eg ◄ Jeremiah 7:31 ►

New International Version
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire--something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind.

in Jeremiah 7:31 the Bible says God detests burning people alive..it never entered His mind to do something so heinous...yet folks believe He will burn 'unsaved' folks alive forever ?..something is very wrong here ?......the Lake of Fire is not for torturing human beings..it has a different purpose...'fire' in the Bible has meaning  of purification, not only judgement...plse people, dont be taken in by brainwashed fear based religion

[Dandelion]

About an uneasiness with God's anger........I understand.......I was born into a situation in which anger
reigned.....everyday. But, I think the difference is this......the anger I saw came from many reasons: dysfunction, mental illness, depression, jealousy, entitlement, and so on. There was little to no mercy, justice, introspection, compassion, and so on.

But God's anger is not like that.....He is always still just, merciful, compassionate, wise, and so on.......and He always loves us, with a sincere and everlasting love.

So, yes, darryl, God's anger is very different.

My :2c:

D.

[darryl]

About an uneasiness with God's anger........I understand.......I was born into a situation in which anger
reigned.....everyday. But, I think the difference is this......the anger I saw came from many reasons: dysfunction, mental illness, depression, jealousy, entitlement, and so on. There was little to no mercy, justice, introspection, compassion, and so on.

But God's anger is not like that.....He is always still just, merciful, compassionate, wise, and so on.......and He always loves us, with a sincere and everlasting love.

So, yes, darryl, God's anger is very different.

My :2c:

D.

:iagree:

[eaglesway]

I completely understand it also. God is not angry at everyone all the time :o) The thing we have t watch out for, as in all things, is the pendulum effect.

We cannot re-create God in our own image due to our discomforts. Many people have no problem with ET because they are angry.

Perhaps some people are in UR because they fear anger.

I am in UR because the scriptures convinced me it is true. My view of YHWH ia also formed from the scriptures, which reveal that He is sometimes angry for certain reasons. The same scriptures reveal that God is love. That God is longsuffering. That God favors the weak, the needy and the innocent.

Even more than that, my view of God is formed by His mercies towards me, They r new every morning.

[joeteekay]

I completely understand it also. God is not angry at everyone all the time :o) The thing we have t watch out for, as in all things, is the pendulum effect.

We cannot re-create God in our own image due to our discomforts. Many people have no problem with ET because they are angry.

Perhaps some people are in UR because they fear anger.

I am in UR because the scriptures convinced me it is true. My view of YHWH ia also formed from the scriptures, which reveal that He is sometimes angry for certain reasons. The same scriptures reveal that God is love. That God is longsuffering. That God favors the weak, the needy and the innocent.

Even more than that, my view of God is formed by His mercies towards me, They new every morning.

I agree EW.  :thumbsup:

[micah7:9]

I completely understand it also. God is not angry at everyone all the time :o) The thing we have t watch out for, as in all things, is the pendulum effect.

We cannot re-create God in our own image due to our discomforts. Many people have no problem with ET because they are angry.

Perhaps some people are in UR because they fear anger.

I am in UR because the scriptures convinced me it is true. My view of YHWH ia also formed from the scriptures, which reveal that He is sometimes angry for certain reasons. The same scriptures reveal that God is love. That God is longsuffering. That God favors the weak, the needy and the innocent.

Even more than that, my view of God is formed by His mercies towards me, They r new every morning.

:dsunny:

[marie glen]

I believe it is in UR that the "tender mercy" of the LORD is truly revealed... Look at history.. not a pretty picture.. full of oppressions, abuses and much horror.. But Yahweh will forgive.. knowing man is but dust and in current condition so easily deceived.. (and blind).. Indeed built in the rescue/triumph from the foundation/beginning..

   :thumbsup: :banana:

[Dandelion]

I completely understand it also. God is not angry at everyone all the time :o) The thing we have t watch out for, as in all things, is the pendulum effect.

We cannot re-create God in our own image due to our discomforts. Many people have no problem with ET because they are angry.

Perhaps some people are in UR because they fear anger.

I am in UR because the scriptures convinced me it is true. My view of YHWH ia also formed from the scriptures, which reveal that He is sometimes angry for certain reasons. The same scriptures reveal that God is love. That God is longsuffering. That God favors the weak, the needy and the innocent.

Even more than that, my view of God is formed by His mercies towards me, They r new every morning.

Yes, we cannot make God into whom or what we what Him to be.....we need to go to the Scriptures for that. And, yes, He is much more than His anger......

I thirdly agree with your statement, EW.

:icon_flower:

[anti_nietzsche]

I love a psalm that has this: "God's anger lasts for but a moment, but his grace for a lifetime."